Pam Haschke of Halos of Hope

Pam Haschke of Halos of Hope was the AWESOME Guest of the Day on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. Pamela Haschke is the Executive Director and Founder of Halos of Hope, now an eleven year cancer survivor. She has been on the program before, but it’s good to get caught up with this HERO and her organization.

Halos of Hope has just finished up their Stripe it Up campaign which suggests we use up the bits left over, especially after the holiday knitting, to make the unique and artistic hats that may make the day of someone who’s lost their hair as a side effect of chemo while fighting cancer. They also helped another organization by sending hats for kids to go with Joy Jars.

The next big project is to expand their work, more so on the local level, creating a network of Angel Ambassadors. This opportunity has come about as donors and volunteers wanted to make sure their local cancer centers would be benefitted by their efforts. The concept is really not new, as there have been chapters across the country but to organize an effective way to continue to grow the efforts. They are looking for folks who ‘able to identify the needs of their communities and work with like-minded volunteers to benefit their local cancer centers, hospitals, infusion centers, oncology offices, or cancer-related non-profits in their areas’. Requirements also include adults (over 21 years of age) in a smoke-free home.

Marly and Pam Haschke, from 2014, when they met up to meet Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series.

Pam mentioned that there are areas that they are really in need of Ambassadors; Arizona, Illinois, California (Northern especially), Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New York/New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (needs about 1,500 hats a year!) and Virginia. Each of these look to Halos of Hope for support, but there are other areas that have not been built up, like Alabama and Tennessee.

Coming up in their calendar, there will be a booth at Stitches South in Nashville, hosted by the Hook a Frog group. They are doing a Red, White & Blue theme for the election year, a patriotic theme. They are also looking forward to Stitches Midwest (sorry they have not posted anything yet we can link to yet, but it’s COMING SOON!) to promote the Angel Ambassador program.

Marly remarked that knitters and crocheters are generous in their work for the charity things they do. Even Pam isn’t paid for the work she’s doing with this project, she does it because it’s her passion, but certainly there would be no hats at the cancer centers to comfort a patient without, as Pam says: ‘the help of others who really want to help others in need. I always say I will be glad when they find a cure for cancer or a way for chemotherapy not to cause someone to lose their hair and put me out of a job. I will be very happy‘. We also mentioned Marly’s patterns that were created/designed/abundantly used for Halos of Hope: Gerri Hat, Ratatouille and Sous Chef are knit or crochet versions of the same hat.

Alrighty IL Ambassador Potentials – I wanna know who I’m going to be working for! Marketing, fundraising, and fiber shows are a passion of mine, add in the rest of the amazing team in The NW Burbs and you’ll be sore from all the laughs. Can’t wait to see who it’s going to be!

During Lent every year, I act as an unofficial ambassador to get my knitting friends help me knit for charities. We have supported Halos of Hope, Mother Bear, and Knitted Knockers. I have been motivated by listening to podcasts such as this one. Very inspirational.

Loved listening to this and the ambassador program sounds great. I did a mental inventory to see if I could do that for my area, but I don’t think I have the time, but it’ll be on my list for the future! I don’t do a lot of charity knitting because I don’t have a lot of knitting time in general, but I definitely would like to increase that in the future. Good luck to Halos of Hope!

I have donated hats before at Stitches West, and loved that it was so easy to do my part. I think the ambassador program is a fantastic idea! I can’t imagine how challenging it can be to manage a program that has grown so much, and I hope the “angels” will spread their wings.